Hey people! Whether you are trekking through a jungle in Asia, packing your moving truck, or sitting at work (still??? I applaud you!), I hope you find yourself getting more excited for the MBA journey to begin! We all have long lists of "things-to-do" and I don't want anyone of us to miss anything important. I've compiled a list of 10 unobvious things we can do before school starts to make the transition smoother. Enjoy!!!
1) REST!!! It sounds weird, right? We don't need no sleep! We're still young! Although it's true, you definitely may want to consider building up those energy reserves for the onslaught of orientation, first quarter classes, and endless meet-and-greets. Come to school fresh and only burn the candle at both ends a few nights a week.
You don't want to end up like this...
2) Read some fiction--if you're like me you checked out 10 MBA related books to read over the summer (and you've only read, uh, one). Read for fun! You'll have plenty of assigned reading on management-related material once school starts. Pick your poison--saucy romance novels or spacy sci-fi.
There, now doesn't that look nice?
3) Don't procrastinate on your housing situation. Try to plan on moving into your apartment at least five days before orientation. There is something to be said about starting on the right foot instead of playing hopscotch over boxes on your way out the door. Last minute moving has a way of making you feel "scattered." So lock it down, aight?!?!?
4) Meditate--on your career path, your five-year plan, your spirituality, overall health, or basically whatever ails you. When is the last time any of us sat quietly for 30 minutes and tried to focus on one thought? This can definitely help you gain some perspective and align your goals before school starts. Do it now before you start to juggle multiple responsibilities with your courseload and b-school social life. How to meditate?
Peace...
5) Volunteer! We are good people, right? There are some that knock MBA students as greedy/selfish types, but I beg to differ! We all have a desire to give back to our respective communities and that's why we chose Anderson. So take a few hours each month to do a little service work. Check this site for volunteer opportunities or do something less formal like help a neighbor carry their groceries or wash their car.
6) Start networking. Have you done any informational interviews yet? Regina knows what she's talkin' about y'all! Parker CMC recommends getting out there and meeting with professionals in the careers where we have interest. Shoot them an email or call them, set up a lunch, and get to know what they do on a day-to-day basis. Don't underestimate the power of networking (and paying for someone's meal--it goes a long way).
7) Establish a routine a couple weeks before school starts. When will you be waking up? When will you exercise? Will you be studying at night or in the morning? The sooner you can get these things in order, the easier it will be to adapt to the student lifestyle.
8) Check the class Facebook page a couple of times each day. New activities and interesting posts are always popping up! You don't want to miss anything important. Don't worry about checking every half hour though, not much changes--I promise.
9) Spend some quality time with your loved ones--even if they are moving to LA with you. Once classes start you may wish you had more time to be with them. So call your mom or give your Sig-O a kiss! Who knows...you could even take a family photo...
10) Attend some pre-ortientation events whether they be full trips or simple nights out to a local bar/eatery. If you're already in LA and haven't made it out to one of these activities, you're missing out! Broaden your horizons, meet new people, and who knows--you may even get lucky...and have a, uh, great conversation with a fellow classmate. Yeah, yeah that's the ticket.
Enjoy these suggestions and feel free to throw in some of your own insight either here or on Facebook!
